Generally, prompting devices are electronic display devices that prompt a user (e.g., actor or user or presenter or performer) with a script to be read for various activities, such as video recordings and public speaking. The screen is in front of, and usually below, the lens of a professional video camera, and the words on the screen are reflected to the eyes of the user using a sheet of clear glass or a specially prepared beam splitter. Light from the user passes through the front side of the glass into the lens, while a shroud surrounding the lens and the back side of the glass prevents unwanted light from entering the lens of the camera.
Because the user does not need to look down to consult written notes, the teleprompter creates the illusion that the user has memorized the speech or is speaking spontaneously, looking directly into the camera lens.
Numerous innovations have been provided in the prior art that are adapted to an electronic prompting device such as a teleprompter. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific purposes to which they address, however, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,721,586 to Shimamura et al. discloses a prompter for a TV camera comprising a support plate swingably supporting a half mirror, and a light shield for shielding the half mirror. When the half mirror is inclined by 45° to its operating position, the image of the manuscript is displayed on the half mirror. In retracting, the half mirror is moved to the retracted position and the light shield can be folded.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,104,424 to McNelley teaches a video conferencing eye contact folded optic apparatus for mounting to an existing display monitor which permits in a first position the capturing of eye contact images of a conferee for transmission to a distant terminal and in a second position permits the conferee to have direct access to a viewing screen.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,670,985 to Karube et al. discloses an image sensing apparatus comprising a camera being detachably connected to a computer for entering a moving or still picture into the computer via an extension card capable of being inserted into and withdrawn from the computer. The video camera comprises an optical lens unit and a solid-state area sensor.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,717,619 to Wasada describes a prompter system, comprising a mount plate attached to a pan head, a television camera detachably mounted on the mount plate; and a prompter body that displays a script image for a person to whom the television camera is aimed, the prompter body being detachably mounted on the mount plate in front of the television camera.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,980,253 to Matsui describes a prompter having a bi-divisional structure comprising a first support stage on which an LCD and a semitransparent mirror are supported and a second support stage on which a video camera is supported. The second support member is slideable to overlap with a top face of the first support member, and the mirror is foldable onto the second support member.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,350,960 to DeOtte describes a collapsible prompting device having a frame, a plurality of reflective panes, and support members and may be used on a desktop by a home or small business user to read a script in a natural manner while speaking to a camera or other video capturing device. A collecting pane reflects an image onto a viewing pane, so as to create a displayed image which may be viewed by a user. The viewing pane is generally transparent allowing a user to be recorded or photographed through the viewing pane.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,899,757 to Williams, IV describes a portable video production system that includes a stand, a prompter portion, a mirror, a piece of glass, and a measuring device. The mirror is configured to reflect a display of a laptop. The piece of glass reflects the reflection of the display from the mirror to provide a reflected image to the user and to enable a video to be filmed through the glass without the reflected image appearing in the video. The measuring component indicates a first distance for the user to stand from the system.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,902,355 to Dudkowski describes a prompting system that includes a see through mirror, a housing, and LCD display. The housing has an open front, two opposite shrouding walls, a shrouding bottom, and a rear shrouding wall. The see through mirror is semitransparent, which is securely held in position at a 45 degree angle to the screen surface of the LCD display. The rear shrouding wall has a round opening, or called through-hole, for placing the camera's lens for video recording.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,030,603 to Vito describes a collapsible prompting apparatus comprising a foldable prompting box defining a space for housing a two-way see-through mirror and the lens of the camera. The pre-designed text is displayed on the tablet device's screen at a speed that the user feels comfortable to read.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,118,824 to Vito et al. describes a prompting apparatus comprising a prompting box and a mounting and adjusting assembly. The prompting box houses a two-way mirror and the lens of the camera. The prompting box includes a shell frame and a coupling means which enables a user to slide in a tablet device. The tablet device runs a prompting software application and the pre-designed text is displayed on the screen at a speed that the user feels comfortable to read.
U.S. Pat. Application No. 20090256970 to Bilbrey et al. describes a teleprompter that allows for rapid adjustment of the camera position and height, beam splitter mirror assembly height and angle, tripod mounting, as well as additional accessories including counter weights, shoulder pads, batteries and feedback monitors. Further the teleprompter comprises a second, lower plane of contact for mounting heavier cameras.
U.S. Pat. Application No. 20140247497 to Giraldo describes a computing device display device comprising a first optical element with a reflective surface to reflect content of the computing device and a second optical element that includes a beam splitting surface to receive a reflection from the first optical element as part of a head-up display setup for the user. A hood is used to prevent a portion of ambient light from reaching the first optical element and the second optical element.
U.S. Pat. Application No. 20170064158 to Arce describes a teleprompter system that comprises a handheld camera, a lens coupled to the handheld camera, a teleprompter removably coupled to the lens and a mobile device removably coupled to the teleprompter.
It is apparent now that numerous innovations that are adapted to a teleprompter system have been developed in the prior art that are adequate for various purposes. Furthermore, even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific purposes to which they address, accordingly, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described. Thus a media prompting assembly having an interchangeable camera panel to mount one or more interchangeable cameras by using one or more correlating camera stands and a method for prompting by using the assembly is needed.